Sports Injuries

Sports Injuries

Sports injuries commonly occur while playing indoor or outdoor sports or even while exercising. Sports injuries can also result from accidents, inadequate training, improper use of protective devices, or while performing warm-up exercises. List of common sports injuries:Knee Ligament Injury (ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL)

Knee Ligament Injury is a sprain of one or more of the four ligaments in the knee that stabilize the joint- the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL), Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL), or the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

The ACL and the PCL are the two major ligaments that work together to provide stability in the knee. They cross each other leading to the formation of an ‘X’ which allows the knee to flex and extend without side to side movement. These are also two of the most common serious knee injuries that happen to athletes.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury

ACL injuries are most common during sports that require a sudden change of direction, sudden, abrupt stops and starts, and lots of jumping such as in football, basketball, etc. A torn ACL is usually treated with minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery and ACL reconstruction.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury

PCL is the strongest ligament in the knee and therefore the least likely to sustain an injury. The PCL can be injured by a direct impact from the outside of the knee joint, such as those that occur during football. Both the ACL and PCL can be injured or torn by a sudden body movement or by twisting of the knee joint. However, the injury will determine the type of treatment required.

Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Injury

MCL is more easily injured than the LCL. It is most often caused by a blow to the outer side of the knee that stretches and tears the ligament on the inner side of the knee causing a “pop” sound. Pain and swelling are immediate.

Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) Injury

Your LCL is responsible for providing stability to the outside of your knee and a common LCL injury occurs when that ligament is either stretched or torn.

Usually, mild or moderate strains can be treated easily with rest, anti-inflammatory painkillers, and using a knee brace, etc. But the severe strains always require urgent treatment and surgery, especially in case of ACL or PCL, or if multiple ligaments are torn.

Rotator Cuff Injury

Rotator Cuff Injury causes shoulder weakness and shoulder pain, especially at night. The Rotator Cuff Muscles extend from the shoulder blade and attach to the top of the upper arm bone where muscles and their tendons blend together, creating a “cuff” around the shoulder’s ball-and-socket joint.

The Rotator Cuff is prone to acute or chronic injuries. Acute injuries such as tears and strains to the Rotator Cuff usually result from a one-time traumatic event. These injuries, that affect shoulder joint’s movement, may heal over time with rest and treatment. Whereas the chronic injuries are caused due to overuse or fatigue of the Rotator Cuff.

Athletes, such as baseball players and construction workers are especially prone to chronic rotator cuff injuries. Usually, Rotator Cuff Injuries are treated with a combination of pain control, rest, and rehabilitation. More severe injuries may respond better with injections such as steroid and PRP for pain control and healing. However, surgery; open surgery or minimally invasive surgery, also called Arthroscopic Surgery is typically reserved for patients with complete or high-grade tears of the Rotator Cuff.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen Shoulder is a common disorder that begins with a gradual onset of pain and a limitation of shoulder movement. Symptoms are felt when the shoulder joint capsule becomes inflamed and thickens thereby, restricting movement. Besides restricting shoulder movement, Frozen Shoulder causes pain in the upper arm area. More than 90% of people with Frozen Shoulder get better with Nonsurgical Treatment, such as anti-inflammatory medicines, steroid injections, physical therapy, etc.

However, if symptoms do not diminish or resolve with nonsurgical treatments, surgery may be an option. To treat Frozen Shoulder surgically, Shoulder Arthroscopy is performed. This is a minimally invasive procedure designed to increase shoulder range of motion and shoulder movement.

Subacromial Bursitis

The Subacromial Bursitis is a common cause of shoulder pain. It is caused when a sack of fluid near the top of the shoulder becomes inflamed. This can become trapped, especially in sports where the arm is regularly at or above shoulder level. Usually resting for a few days help stop the pain and reduces weakness in the arm.

A doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce pain and inflammation. Besides a few mobility and strengthening exercises will also be prescribed. However, if Subacromial Bursitis does not respond to normal conservative treatment of rest and cold therapy, then a doctor may aspirate the bursa which involves extracting the extra fluid through a needle injected into the bursa.

Ankle Arthroscopy

Ankle Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure which is done with the help of arthroscope, a small, fiber-optic instrument with a light and video camera, that allows the surgeon to look for an injury in the ankle region and repair accordingly. It has proved to be highly effective in managing various ankle disorders including ankle arthritis, unstable ankle, ankle fracture, and undiagnosed ankle pain, etc.

Ankle Arthroscopy is beneficial as compared to the open ankle surgery, as this procedure offers faster healing, requires a shorter hospital stay and has a lower infection rate. Besides, it is a safe procedure and the incidence of complications is low.